The present invention relates generally to containers for retaining articles and, more particularly, to containers with a closure mechanism that allows the containers to be repeatedly opened and closed. The closure mechanisms of the present invention are configured to enable actuation with only one hand.
Containers or cases are used to carry many types of articles. For example, there are carrying cases for cellular phones, portable electronic appliances such as compact-disc (CD) players, and sunglasses. In addition, purses and wallets may be thought of as carrying cases for money and credit cards. The purpose of such containers is to conveniently carry a particular article and to protect the article from damage. Other containers are dedicated to carrying articles much different from those mentioned above. For example, chalk bags are used by rock climbers to carry chalk in an easily accessible manner.
The conventional containers mentioned above are designed quite specifically to carry a particular article. In addition, each container utilizes a specialized closure mechanism. It follows that the containers do not operate in accordance with a universal closure principle. If a single manufacturer were to fabricate a variety of containers, then each particular container would require a different and dedicated manufacturing process. Accordingly, the cost of manufacturing the containers in this situation would be high.
Regarding the closure mechanism itself, many of the closure mechanisms require two hands to operate which is undesirable in most circumstances. In addition, it is the closure mechanism that ordinarily wears out over time and breaks before other elements of the container. It is well known that by reducing the number of moving parts typically increases the reliability of a particular product.
In view of the foregoing, there remains a need in the art for a container that is easy and inexpensive to manufacture, and for a container with a reliable and streamlined closure mechanism.
The present invention provides containers for retaining articles. The containers generally include a closure and a pliable sack. The closure may be easily toggled by a user, for example, with a single finger, between an opened position in which articles may be retrieved from the sack and a closed position in which articles are retained in the sack. The closure is configured to remain in the opened position and the closed position until manually actuated by the user. The container may be configured to retain a wide-range of articles, such as electronic and optical appliances, hand chalk, ammunition, and building fasteners, to name a few. The present invention further provides closures and sacks for such containers, as well as methods for manufacturing such containers. The closures are preferably comprised of only two elements, which increases the reliability, reduces the manufacturing costs, and simplifies the manufacturing process.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a container includes a sack with an opening and a closure attached to the sack at the opening. The closure includes a substantially flexible member having a pair of anchors and a substantially rigid member having a pair of pivotal seats. Each of the pivotal seats is adapted to receive a respective one of the anchors of the flexible member. The closure is positionable between a closed position in which the flexible member is substantially proximate to the rigid member, thereby rendering the opening of the sack closed, and an opened position in which the flexible member is substantially separated from the rigid member, thereby rendering the opening of the sack opened. The closure is preferably configured to have a generally circular shape when in the opened position and a generally crescent shape when in the closed position.
To operate the closure, a user only needs to employ a single finger to exert the force required to open and close the container. For example, to close the container, a user may press a finger against the flexible member to urge the flexible member toward the rigid member. In doing so, the flexible member flexes to a point at which the flexible member snaps against the rigid member. To open the container, a user may urge a finger between the flexible member and the rigid member, drawing the flexible member away from the rigid member. In doing so, the flexible member flexes to a point at which the flexible member snaps open.
Each of the pivotal seats of the rigid member may include a socket, and each of the anchors of the flexible member may include a tab, with the tabs being slidably receivable in a respective one of the sockets. With such a configuration, the fabrication of the closure is relatively straightforward. For example, the tabs may be urged into the sockets either manually or automatically with machinery. The sockets may include retaining structure for securing the tabs therein through the use of frictional forces. Accordingly, other than urging the tabs into the sockets, no other fabrication step is required. The manufacturing costs are therefore greatly reduced.
Further reducing the price of the containers of the present invention is that both the rigid member and the flexible member may have a unitary construction. For example, the rigid member, including the pivotal seats, may be injection molded, while the flexible member may be cut from a sheet of flexible material. Accordingly, the closure of the present invention may be made from only two unitary components each made in a single fabrication step.
Regarding the pivotal seats, the rigid member may include a pair of integral hinges disposed to render the seats pivotal through at least about 90 degrees. The hinges may be living hinges, that is, biased to be in either an opened or a closed position. The hinges are preferably integral with the rigid member, including the seats so that the rigid member may be fabricated in a single step to reduce costs.
Other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.